Hinske leads Braves to 4-1 victory over Phillies

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PHILADELPHIA(AP) -- With Jason Heyward on the bench resting a sore
right groin and starter Jair Jurrjens on the disabled list with
a strained right hamstring, Braves manager Bobby Cox started
utility man Eric Hinske in left field and reliever Kris Medlen
on the mound.

They both made the best of their opportunities.

Hinske's tying double ignited a three-run rally in the sixth
inning, Medlen allowed one run and nine hits against the
powerful Philadelphia lineup, and the Braves' bullpen came
through to snap the Phillies' four-game winning streak with a
4-1 victory Saturday.

"Huge, you know?" Hinske said of Medlen's spot start. "It's no
secret we're struggling with the bats. Today was big."

Chipper Jones and Brian McCann led off the sixth with singles
and Hinske's double knotted the score 1-1. Melky Cabrera
followed with a single to left to give the Braves the lead, and
Omar Infante's sacrifice fly made it 3-1.

Atlanta added a run in the eighth on Troy Glaus' RBI single, and
Billy Wagner pitched the ninth inning for his fourth save in
five chances.

"We played another great game defensively. We've been doing all
that but we haven't been winning," Cox said. "Troy came through
again with a big clutch hit. Medlen did a remarkably good job in
this ballpark, against this team, hold them to one run. Pretty
darn good."

Atlanta reliever Eric O'Flaherty (2-1) faced only one batter,
retiring Ryan Howard on an inning-ending double-play in the
fifth, to pick up the victory as gusty winds blew throughout
Citizens Bank Park. Six relievers combined to hold the Phillies
scoreless over 4 2-3 innings.

The Phillies had numerous scoring opportunities throughout the
afternoon but were hurt by three double-plays. They also had
runners on second and third with two outs in the seventh, but
reliever Jonny Venters retired Howard on fly ball to short right
field.

"We had opportunities early but kept stranding runners," said
bench coach Pete Mackanin.

He was running the team in place of Phillies manager Charlie
Manuel, who missed the game due to personal reasons but is
expected to return for the series finale Sunday.

Although Medlen allowed nine hits and one run while striking out
three, he kept the Braves in the game in the 4 1-3 innings he
pitched in the spot start.

"I thought I made my pitches when I had to," said Medlen, who
was making his fourth start in the major leagues. "Overall good
outing. The bullpen overall just dominated the lineup.

Medlen gave up the Phillies' only run on Shane Victorino's RBI
single in the second inning.

Making his second start of the season, Joe Blanton (0-2) pitched
six innings, giving up five hits and three runs. Phillies
starters had gone 42 innings and allowed only two earned runs
before the Braves rallied in the sixth.

"I feel pretty close to where I want to be," said Blanton who
began the season on the DL for the first time in his career with
a left oblique strain. "I had some qualitiy pitches even in the
sixth inning. They just put a couple of hits together."

In fact, Blanton didn't allow a hit until Medlen's leadoff
single in the fifth. Third baseman Greg Dobbs slid to his left
and reached for the ball but it glanced off his glove, giving
the Braves pitcher his first big league hit in 17 at-bats.

Notes: Cox said after the game that Heyward might not play on
Sunday. Heyward came up as pinch-hitter and grounded out in the
ninth. ... Carlos Ruiz replaced C Brian Schneider in the fourth
inning for the Phillies. Schneider had a left Achilles' strain.
... The Phillies are 16-7 against right-handed starters this
season.